LT. GOV. SAYS HE’S UNSURE, WOULD BEGIN BID AT DISADVANTAGE

It’s been assumed for a long time now that Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer would be running for governor in 2010 and that, along with Attorney General Henry McMaster and Congressman Gresham Barrett, he would fill out the trio of viable Republican candidates to replace Gov. Mark Sanford.

But a Tuesday Associated Press story suggests Bauer is having second thoughts.

Bauer said Tuesday that he’s getting encouragement to run in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary and will make up his mind by the end of the year whether to do that or seek a third term. [...]

Bauer said he would start a bid for governor trailing Attorney General Henry McMaster or U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett in campaign funds.

McMaster’s last campaign finance report filed in July shows he had more than $641,000 on hand. Barrett’s most recent federal report shows he has more than $680,000 on hand. Bauer had just over $231,000.

This news, of course, came the day after Mike Campbell told The Palmetto Scoop that he is considering another bid for Lt. Gov.

After the bitter campaign between Bauer and Campbell two years ago, I don’t know if that news would spur or deter the current Lt. Gov.’s decision to seek a third term. But Bauer is right to be, at the very least, intimidated by the amount of large money raised by McMaster and Barrett.

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UPDATE: Democrat Schools Superintendent Jim Rex says he will wait until next fall to make his intentions known.